Marvin Williams – Top 10

I can’t be as funny as David Letterman but I thought the top 10 reasons to be fired up for Marvin Williams in a Jazz uniform would be nice on the day he was formally introduced to Jazz fans.

He is a legitimate starting small forward. We didn’t have that last year.

Marvin is one of the 10 best rebounding small forwards in the NBA.

At 6-9 and 245 he gives the Jazz great length with a 6-8 Gordon Hayward and Favors, Millsap and Jefferson manning the front line.

His basket in the NCAA Final game in 2005 gave Carolina the lead they would never relinquish in a 75-70 win over Illinois. Don’t mention this to Deron Williams!

In his senior year in high school not many players in the country were better – he averaged 29 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and five blocks a game and was a Parade and McDonald’s All-American.

He is tough. In summer league as a rookie he took on Rafael Araujo and in Game 7 of the playoffs he got called for a flagrant 2 on Rajon Rondo because he wouldn’t give up an easy one.

Of NBA small forwards who played at least 1,500 minutes last year, he went to the line the seventh-most. He used 11% of his possessions to go to the line while also shooting a three on 26% of his possessions. He has a nice in-and-out game.

Last year on spot up three-point shots Marvin hit 53-of-132 for 40% and over the last two years he has hit on 90-of-238 (38%) of spot-up threes.

The former #2 pick just turned 26 years old.

From everyone I have talked to in Atlanta and in Seattle this is one of the bona fide good guys of the NBA. Respectful, hard working and committed to winning.

Ok and for the geeks out there here is #11 – according to Basketball-Reference.com Marvin had his best defensive season of his career last year. In addition, his win share per-48-minutes (estimated % of wins contributed per-48-minutes on the floor) was the highest of his career last year as well.